SINGAPORE (Nov 2): Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA) will invest about US$850 million to update its Airbus A380 fleet with new interiors, bringing the total number of seats to 471 from 441 now.

The refurbished superjumbos will have a four-class configuration, with more seats in the economy and premium economy classes.

"With the retrofit, we are actually doing a much better job in optimising the space that is available on the A380s, creating more seats but not at the expense of the customers' comfort," SIA chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said at a media launch here today.

Besides installation of the new products onto the aircraft, the total investment to be spent also involves research, design and development which started four years ago, passing through a rigorous 'customer-centric' product development process.  

Singapore's national carrier will replace the first five of its 19 A380s which will arrive by December, while the rest will be retrofitted with the new configurations starting in late 2018 with target completion in 2020 to ensure "product consistency across the entire A380 fleet", said Goh.

The first flight with the refreshed look will be on the Singapore-Sydney route starting on Dec 18.

"We will see how the first route (Singapore-Sydney) performs, and we will announce the next destination with the new configurations in the coming months," he added.

With the unveiling of the new cabin products, SIA's A380s will feature six luxury Singapore Airlines suites and 78 business class seats on the upper deck, as well as 44 premium economy class seats and 343 economy class seats on the main deck.  

Riding on the theme of "Space Made Personal, Experience the Difference", the new cabin offerings will redefine air travel luxury by providing more space and privacy in all classes, featuring intimate and bespoke elements designed especially for its customers, SIA said.

In economy class, passengers can expect more legroom space and greater comfort through an improved design, leveraging on advanced technology and ergonomic design.

An 11.1-inch touchscreen monitor eliminates the need for handsets, capitalising on its award-winning in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld.

On business-class, new features include a full-length divider between centre seats which can be fully lowered down to form double beds as it reclines into a full-flat bed of 78 inches. There is also an under-seat stowage for cabin and laptop bags, which were not present before.

Its flagship Suite seats are furnished with separate full-flat bed with adjustable recline and a leather chair that can swivel between 135 and 270 degrees and recline up to 45 degrees. It also features a 32-inch HD screen that can be angled differently for viewing from the bed or the chair.

The A380s entered service with SIA in October 2007, and is currently serving Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, Osaka, Paris, Shanghai and Zurich.

"The significant investment that we are making with the introduction of new cabin products demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in products and services, our long-term approach to ensure we retain our leadership position, and our confidence in the future of premium full-service air travel," Goh added.